Magnesium for treatment-resistant depression: a review and hypothesis.

نویسندگان

  • George A Eby
  • Karen L Eby
چکیده

Sixty percent of cases of clinical depression are considered to be treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Magnesium-deficiency causes N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) coupled calcium channels to be biased towards opening, causing neuronal injury and neurological dysfunction, which may appear to humans as major depression. Oral administration of magnesium to animals led to anti-depressant-like effects that were comparable to those of strong anti-depressant drugs. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) magnesium has been found low in treatment-resistant suicidal depression and in patients that have attempted suicide. Brain magnesium has been found low in TRD using phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, an accurate means for measuring brain magnesium. Blood and CSF magnesium do not appear well correlated with major depression. Although the first report of magnesium treatment for agitated depression was published in 1921 showing success in 220 out of 250 cases, and there are modern case reports showing rapid terminating of TRD, only a few modern clinical trials were found. A 2008 randomized clinical trial showed that magnesium was as effective as the tricyclic anti-depressant imipramine in treating depression in diabetics and without any of the side effects of imipramine. Intravenous and oral magnesium in specific protocols have been reported to rapidly terminate TRD safely and without side effects. Magnesium has been largely removed from processed foods, potentially harming the brain. Calcium, glutamate and aspartate are common food additives that may worsen affective disorders. We hypothesize that - when taken together - there is more than sufficient evidence to implicate inadequate dietary magnesium as the main cause of TRD, and that physicians should prescribe magnesium for TRD. Since inadequate brain magnesium appears to reduce serotonin levels, and since anti-depressants have been shown to have the action of raising brain magnesium, we further hypothesize that magnesium treatment will be found beneficial for nearly all depressives, not only TRD.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of nervous system disease: a review article

The vagus nerve (VN), the longest cranial nerve and an essential part of the parasympathetic system, connects the central nervous system to respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems and is involved in the maintenance of homeostasis by controlling these systems. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is related to any method that would stimulate the vagal nerve via elec...

متن کامل

The Relationship of Dietary Intake of Zinc, Selenium, and Magnesium and Anthropometric Profiles with Depression in Female Medical Students at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Depression, as the second leading cause of dysfunction, is one of the most common mental health disorders. Given that micronutrients have always played a significant role in all physical and psychological aspects of individuals. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of dietary intake of Selenium, Magnesium, Zinc, and anthropometric profiles with depression in fema...

متن کامل

نقش سیستم نیتررژیک در اثرات ضد افسردگی تجویز حاد روی، منیزیم و تیامین در افسردگی پس از زایمان القا شده با پروژسترون در موش سوری

Background: Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that has harmful effects on mothers, infants, family and relationships. Acute decrease of progesterone after delivery has been proposed as a cause for postpartum depression. This hormone can affect neurotransmitters' function. Zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) as trace elements exert their antidepressant effects through neurotransmitter pathway...

متن کامل

Treatment of Depression in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

Depression is a common symptom and a major public health problem in the elderly. Despite its prevalence and seriousness, depressive disorder in older people remains under-treated. The optimal treatment of depression in later life is crucial, and requires appreciation of several age-related factors such as comorbidity, polypharmacy, altered drug kinetics, variable treatment response and increase...

متن کامل

اثربخشی تحریک مکرر مغناطیسی مغز بر حافظه کاری بیماران مبتلا به اختلال افسردگی اساسی مقاوم به درمان

Background: Major depression disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders which is associated with impairment in cognitive functions, including working memory. In recent decades, a non-invasive and painless technique, called Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has been used in treatment of treatment-resistant depressions. Current study was conducted to investigate th...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Medical hypotheses

دوره 74 4  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2010